Forest: good transparency, unprecedented PS-PTB-Ecolo coalition

An unprecedented left-wing coalition

Forest has approximately 56,000 inhabitants and is marked by the formation of an unprecedented coalition in Brussels: PS-PTB-Ecolo. The MR-DéFI list, which came first with 10 seats, was excluded from power. Charles Spapens (PS) is mayor.

Transparency: 5 out of 6 criteria

Forest achieves a good score. The budget and council minutes (archived PDFs) are published online, the council is broadcast via livestream on YouTube, the mandate registry is accessible, and the municipality has a Forest Citizen Council facilitated by Dreamocracy. No dedicated Open Data portal.

Citizen participation: Forest Citizen Council

Forest established a Forest Citizen Council with the help of Dreamocracy, allowing residents to participate directly in municipal decisions. A citizen initiative right with public consultation completes the framework.

Audi Forest site: reconversion underway

The former Audi plant site (54 hectares) is the subject of a major reconversion project. The regional government approved the creation of an urban free zone to attract investors. Heylen Warehouses has been selected for the site's logistics management. On the social side, 49% of former workers have been reclassified. The municipal budget reflects this challenge: revenues of EUR 160M against expenditures of EUR 154M.